Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan scored six consecutive goals late in the first half and early in the second Thursday on its way to a 17-13 win over Augustana at Thorson-Lucken Field. The loss was the Vikings' first in four CCIW contests and Coach Dan Torie's club, which had a six-game winning streak snapped, is now 10-6 on the year. The Titans improved to 12-4 overall and 4-1 in the league.
 
Augustana couldn't overcome a nine-of-33 performance on faceoffs and a 55-31 deficit in ground balls in the game.
 
After Kevin Gleason (Loyola Academy) gave the Vikings the lead with an unassisted goal at 13:21 of the first quarter, IWU responded with four straight, the first two by Jacob Perry, to go up 4-1. The teams traded two goals apiece before Tim Smith scored with 3:12 left in the period to give the Titans their biggest lead (7-3) until the final.
 
Freshman Nick Gallo (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) scored at the 1:26 mark of the first period to start a string of seven straight Viking goals. Gleason scored with 10 second left to draw Augustana with 7-5 at the quarter break. Gallo scored twice more and when senior Alexander Crescenti (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) tallied his second goal of the game with 3:53 left before halftime, the Vikings led 10-7. However Perry scored twice to pull the visitors to within 10-9 at intermission.
 
IWU ran its streak of consecutive goals to six, adding the only four of the third quarter. James Maibuecher found the net twice and the Titans led 13-10 after three.
 
With 9:25 left in the game, senior Scott Davis (St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Overland Park, Kan.) converted a Jonathan Bryk (Fremd HS, Palatine, Ill.) assist to end an Augustana scoring drought of more than 24 minutes. Michael Julius scored for IWU to make it 14-11, but Crescenti and Bryk worked assists from Jared Hawkins (Everett HS, Everett, Wash.) and Gallo, respectively, into goals and the Vikings trailed just 14-13 with seven minutes to play.
 
The game was scoreless for nearly four minutes before Maibuecher found the net to give his team a two-goal lead at the 2:54 mark. Perry and Julius scored in the last minute to account for the final.
 
Gallo, Crescenti and Gleason each scored three goals to pace the Augustana offense. Senior Jack Peters (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) recorded 18 saves in goals.
 
The Vikings still have an opportunity for a share of the conference championship. A win over Carthage on Saturday, April 30, would leave Augustana, the Red Men and IWU all at 4-1 in the league. The Vikings and Carthage are scheduled to square off at Thorson-Lucken Field at 3:00 p.m.